by Shana McNally Cookies Made With Love IN 2004 THINGS looked grim for the Stachler family. Dad Ken and daughter Susan underwent back-to-back chemo for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease, respectively. Mother Laura was distraught until she learned that ginger helps cancer patients fight nausea. Having grown up in the restaurant industry, baking was something she knew and could do for her loved ones. Enter Susansnaps, a gourmet cookie company co-owned by Laura and Susan and named after Laura’s sister Susan Carver Smith who succumbed to Hodgkin’s at 28. “What was once just a small idea has now turned into a thriving company, and it started with some flour, sugar, eggs, and spices from the Perimeter [Georgia] Costco,” says Susan, who handles marketing and packaging and, like her dad, is doing OK. The Atlanta-based commpany produces up to 10,000 of the chewy/crunchy cookies a day. A portion of the sales goes to the non-profit Susan Carver Foundation, which Laura established to support cancer research and cancer patients. “I’ve always wanted to give back, but never did I think I would be raising money for a cause I benefit from,” says Susan. -Shana...

By Kathleen J. Whaley Snappy Days: After facing the same illness in back-to-back generations, a Georgia mother and daughter set their course to “give a snap…see a smile.” True-life steel magnolias Laura Stachler and Susan Carver Robbins exemplify the character of many Southern women: Through good times and bad, do what you can, and do it well. In their recently opened storefront on the outskirts of Atlanta, the mother-daughter duo work side-by-side to make their signature gingersnaps. Each day they bake 8,000 cookies, place them in chic packaging, and prepare them for shipping across the country. “It’s like poetry in motion,” says Laura, who pauses from cutting Christmas ribbons long enough to exchange grins with daughter Susan. “People love the product and the packaging,” Laura continues, “but what they really respond to is the story.” The story starts with Laura’s sister and Susan’s namesake, Susan Carver Smith, who passed away from Hodgkin’s disease at age 28. Nearly three decades later, just before graduating from Auburn University, the younger Susan was also diagnosed with Hodgkin’s. Over the next few months, Laura-whose husband required treatments for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma around the same time- sat by through numerous rounds of chemotherapy. In hopes of lifting her family’s spirits and helping in a tangible way, Laura, a professional baker, used her talents to develop the ultimate gingersnap. The ginger served as a natural stomach soother to her husband and daughter, while flavorful, dark molasses imparted an irresistible taste. Featuring just the right combination of spice and crunch, the snaps soon garnered attention beyond the close-knit Stachler family. “It slowly unfolded,” says Susan, who put...

Charles Osgood, Reporting by Mark Strassmann, CBS News Correspondent http://susansnaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/osgood_12012010_925.mp3 The Osgood File. This is Charles Osgood. There’s a secret ingredient in Susansnaps – the gourmet ginger snaps Laura Stachler started baking at home seven years ago. Today, they bake and ship as many as 10,000 cookies a day. About the Stachlers, the cookies and the secret ingredient – after this… ((( SPOT ))) It was not a happy time for the Stachler family. Our CBS News colleague Mark Strassmann has the story. Voice – Mark Strassmann, CBS News Correspondent “Seven years ago, Laura’s husband Ken had cancer. Their daughter Susan – then, a college senior – was also diagnosed with cancer, the same cancer her Aunt Susan had died from years earlier.” Voice – Susan Stachler “And there I was, going home to do chemo and radiation. It was definitely not the easiest thing to take in…” Voice – Mark Strassmann “Susan and her father even went through cancer treatment together.” Voice – Laura Stachler “…’This is my husband – now, it’s my child’ — that was the only time, that was the only time I said: ‘It’s too much. I can’t do it…'” Voice – Mark Strassmann “Rather than feel helpless, Laura baked ginger snaps. Ginger’s known to soothe upset stomachs, often a side effect during chemotherapy.” Now, Susan herself makes special deliveries to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta – where she made her recovery. Voice of Susan Stachler, at the hospital “Treat to enjoy this afternoon…” Voice – Mark Strassmann “And they bring comfort and hope.” Voice of a Patient “Thank you very much, very...

By Michael Hansberry Snaps for Cookies When life hands some people lemons, they make lemonade. When Susan Stachler Robbins (’04 Graduate) was handed a cancer diagnosis, she made cookies. Robbins, who began treatment for Hodgkin’s disease the year she graduated from Auburn university, was young, vivacious, and determined not to become a victim. Initially, the Georgia native dismissed the lump in her neck as a swollen thyroid. Finally, she underwent some tests and received the awful news – she had the same form of cancer that had claimed the life of her aunt, Susan Carver Smith, nearly 30 years before. “Larry the Lump”, as she called it, was a malignant tumor. Robbins’ father had been battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for a decade – still, Robbins was surprised by her own diagnosis. “I couldn’t comprehend that I had this deadly disease inside of me,” she says. She endured months of chemotherapy, at times along side her father. Eventually a new business was born out of the family’s medical ordeal – Susansnaps, an Atlanta-based cookie company. Robbins’ mother, Laura Stachler, says the idea arose when the family began bringing homemade gingersnaps to the chemotherapy center. “Susan would take her IV pole and walk around giving out cookies to the other patients,” says Stachler. “Of course, you could imagine most of the other patients were 60, 70, 85 years old, and here was this young ray of light going around cheering everyone up.” After Robbins’ successful caner treatment, she and her mother kept making cookies. the duo’s signature product, marketed as the “ultimate gingersnap,” is made from a family recipe that combines...

Bakery to Host Fundraiser for Cancer Patients Susansnaps, the area’s only gourmet gingersnap cookie company, will host Sweets for Smiles, a fundraiser for cancer patients, Friday and Saturday at its store in Sandy Springs. All proceeds from the sale of Susansnap Spice Cake Slices ($4) and gingersnap Snack Packs ($5.50) will be donated to the Susan Carver Foundation, which provides funds for cancer research. For every $2 raised, a bag of gingersnaps will be given to cancer patients going through treatment during the Christmas holidays. Ginger is a natural stomach soother. The store is located at 229 Hilderbrand Drive, and hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Year-round, 10 percent of the store’s proceeds are donated to cancer patients. Susan Robbins, who was named after her aunt, Susan Carver, who died in 1977 from Hodgkin’s disease, had the same cancer but has been free of the disease for five years. She and her mother, Laura Stachler, own Susansnaps, which was started as a home business in 2005. It was inspired by Ms. Stachler’s joy of cooking and an effort to give her daughter soothing cookies while going through cancer treatments. The store opened in December, and this is Susansnaps’ first fundraiser since opening the store. “We felt like we saw a need,” Ms. Stachler said. “A lot of people don’t know what to do or what to give. … It’s a lovely way to remember people and it’s an easy way for the whole community to give back. Just with $2 we’re trying to help these patients. … We’re not trying...

by Wendy Binns Companies that Care: Susansnaps Learn about Susansnaps and you’ll understand that this company was created to fight cancer with a 1-2 punch. Number one, the gingersnaps are cheerful and soothing (ginger is known as a natural stomach soother). Secondly, they raise big bucks for The Susan Carver Foundation ‘… because cancer is NOT okay!’ With donations and 10 percent of all sales from Susansnaps, they fund the foundation for research and patient gifts. Once upon a time, cancer hit Susan Robbins’ family hard. Susan and her father both underwent chemotherapy within the same year. And, Aunt Susan (the cookies’ namesake) passed away from cancer at only 28 years old. So, Susan and her mother, Laura, took action and created Susansnaps. “While my mom perfected her recipe, I worked on the logos and packaging … We both decided that we wanted a portion of our sales to go back to fighting cancer. We wanted to do something to give back and starting Susansnaps gives us a fun way to do just that,” explains Susan. What’s in store? There are gingersnaps, which come in three flavors – original, cocoa and citrus. And, there are cakes, too – get the whole layer cake or by the slice. “We recently opened a fun bakery shop in Sandy Springs (229 Hildebrand Drive) where we bake and sell our ultimate gourmet gingersnaps and eight fabulous flavors of cakes,” says Susan. “As our company grows, we are able to donate more to a cause dear to our hearts.” “We are really proud of how far we have come. From having one small idea...

By Hope S. Philbrick Snap to It! Mother-Daughter Baking Team Settles into a Brick-and Mortar-Storefront Susansnaps, a gourmet ginger snap cookie company, grew from a tummy-comforting snack into a mother-daughter business that recently opened its first retail location in Sandy Springs. Laura Stachler (who previously owned Laura’s Divine Desserts) first developed Susansnaps as snacks for her husband and daughter Susan Robbins, who were undergoing chemotherapy treatments within the same year. While Laura perfected the recipe, Susan designed logos and packaging. The ginger snaps became popular and took over Laura’s small baking company. They are named Susansnaps in memory of Laura’s sister Sue (who died from Hodgkin’s in 1977 at age 28) and in honor of her daughter Susan (who beat Hodgkin’s at age 22). For the past five years, the mother and daughter have worked out of a commercial kitchen and grown the business beyond their wildest dreams. Fans of Susansnaps include Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray and Chef Bobby Flay. The Sunday Paper asked the women to share more details. Was a retail location always part of your business plan? Laura: Actually not. We had a really nice online business, attended gift shows, had corporate clients. The customers really let us know they’d like a place where they could come to us to pick up products directly. Last spring, we started looking for a location. Susan: It’s really nice to create more of a shopping experience. Rather than place orders or call, people can come in, look around and get a personal touch. What are your products? What’s most popular? Laura: On the ginger snap side, we offer the...

By Anna Rhoades Give a Snap, See a Smile Mother-daughter team Laura Stachler and Susan Robbins have opened Susansnaps, a gourmet gift shop in Sandy Springs. Stachler began making ginger snap cookies in 2004 to soothe nausea, a side effect from chemotherapy, which both her daughter and husband were going through at the time for Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, respectively. Fortunately, Robbins and her father are now doing fine, and their tasty treats have become quite a hit. But they haven’t forgotten what they are all about – 10 percent of proceeds on all sales goes to The Susan Carver Foundation, in memory of Stachler’s sister who succumbed to Hodgkin’s at age...

By Carol Miemi Family Travails Sparks Susansnaps A Dunwoody mother and daughter recently turned family tragedy into triumph when they opened Susansnaps – a bakery and sweetshop they own and run together. Walk through the door of their business, and you are in pure confection. From the hand-painted walls, floors and furniture to the aroma of gingersnaps that fills the air, the look and feel are of an old-fashioned 1940s sweet shop combined with the stylish flair of sophisticated upscale graphic design. On the walls of the bright little shop are giant stripes and polka dots of red, white and black. The vintage look is enhanced by the round oilcloth floor covering in the center of the shop, painted in tiny multi-colored dots. Upon this mat rests a stack of round flea-market tables, painted in white and decorated to look like a giant three-tiered wedding cake. A shelf along one wall is adorned by a row of hatboxes, fancifully decorated to look like all the scrumptious cakes made by the ladies of Susansnaps. Other tables and shelves display the thematic packaging in which the gingersnaps are available – maternity, babies, holidays, get-well and cancer therapy. And here is where the story actually begins. Laura Carver Stachler and her daughter, Susan Robbins, had more than just a love of sweets in mind when they opened Susansnaps. In 1977, Laura’s sister, Susan, died of Hodgkin’s disease at the age of 28. In 2003, Laura’s husband began treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. And incredibly, a year later, Laura’s daughter, Susan, who was named for Laura’s sister, was herself diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease a...

Watching her husband and daughter undergo chemotherapy, Laura wanted to help. Through her passion for baking she developed the ultimate gingersnap. Laura named the cookies Susansnaps for her sister who lost her battle with cancer and her daughter who beat the disease, and donates a portion of every sale to cancer...

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution By Jennifer Bratt Talk about a survival story. Laura Stachler lost her sister, Sue, to cancer in 1977. A generation later, Laura sat with her husband and daughter, as both went through 28 rounds of chemotherapy. Ken Stachler began his chemo in the spring of 2003. A year later Ken and Laura’s daughter Susan began treatment for Hodgkin’s disease. There were days when father and daughter would sit side by side, receiving treatment. A tireless supporter to her family, Laura came up with a sweet way to combat the enervating nausea that chemo produces: homemade gingersnaps, rolled in sugar crystals. (Ginger is a natural way to assuage nausea.) It didn’t take long for word to spread of this special family business, Susansnaps – www.susansnaps.com. The sweet treats have garnered all sorts of ink, including a mention in Paula Deen’s Christmas magazine. Last month, Laura and Susan were honored at the “Martha Stewart Living’s Dreamers Into Doers” gala. A 250-word essay that Susan penned told their story and earned the two a trip to the gala over the weekend of Oct. 22-24. Laura Stachler was awarded a $1,000 gift from Stewart and $1,000 from Bank of America to put toward the business and a $250 Talbot’s gift card. A portion of snaps proceeds benefit the Susan Carver Foundation, a non-profit organization benefiting cancer research that is named for Laura Stachler’s late sister. Their motto: “A Snap Today, A Cure...

by Jennifer Bratt Susansnaps: A Good ThingTalk about a survival story. Laura Stachler lost her sister, Sue, to cancer in 1977. A generation later, Laura sat with her husband and daughter, as both went through 28 rounds of chemotherapy. Ken Stachler began his chemo in the spring of 2003. A year later Ken and Laura’s daughter Susan began treatment for Hodgkin’s disease. There were days when father and daughter would sit side by side, receiving treatment. A tireless supporter to her family, Laura came up with a sweet way to combat the enervating nausea that chemo produces: homemade gingersnaps, rolled in sugar crystals. (Ginger is a natural way to assuage nausea.) It didn’t take long for word to spread of this special family business, Susansnaps – www.susansnaps.com. The sweet treats have garnered all sorts of ink, including a mention in Paula Deen’s Christmas magazine. Last month, Laura and Susan were honored at the “Martha Stewart Living’s Dreamers Into Doers” gala. A 250-word essay that Susan penned told their story and earned the two a trip to the gala over the weekend of Oct. 22-24. Laura Stachler was awarded a $1,000 gift from Stewart and $1,000 from Bank of America to put toward the business and a $250 Talbot’s gift card. A portion of snaps proceeds benefit the Susan Carver Foundation, a non-profit organization benefiting cancer research that is named for Laura Stachler’s late sister. Their motto: “A Snap Today, A Cure...